Clasp-knife.



No. 868,179. PATENTED OCT. 15, 1907.

J. G. GRISWOLD.

GLASP KNIFE. APPLICATION FILED J'AH.26, 1907.

a i 6w d z THE mamas PETERS 0a., WASHINbTHN, n. c.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. GRISWOLD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLASP-KNIFE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Aimlication d anuary 25,1907. Serial No. 356,952.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. GRIswoLn, a citizen oi the United States, residing at the borough of the Bronx;

in the county of New York and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasp-Knives, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates generally to clasp-knives and more particularly to such knives as are provided with means for locking the blades at desired positions, and has for its objects simplicity and economy of construction. effectiveness of operation, and convenience of manipulation.

My invention includes the provision of levers engage-able with the blades and of blade-locking means engageable in turn with the levers.

My invention also includes the provision of means adapted to lock in position. by the movement of a single part, blades at opposite ends of the knife handle.

I will now describe the constructions shown in the accompanying drawings and embodying my invention and will thereafter point out my invention in claims.

- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one construction and shows a blade at one end of the handle as locked in open position and another blade at the other end of the handle as locked in closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the blades unlocked. Fig. 3

' is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified construction.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a clasp knife is illustrated which comprises a handle a and blades 1) and c, the blades being pivoted at opposite ends of the handle upon pivot-pins d and 6 respectively in usual manner. Each blade is provided with a notched and squared heel portion surrounding its pivot as shown and of about the usual configuration.

Combined blade-supporting and blade-lockinglevers f and g are pivoted in the handle upon respective pivot-pins h and i located at the side of the handle corresponding to the backs of the blades when the blades are open, as may be seen in Fig. 1, blade b. Each of these levers is adapted, as shown, to engage at one of its ends with the heel of one of the blades. As the operation in the case of each blade is the same, the blade I) may be considered as an example for both. On account of the conformation of the heel of the blade, if force be applied to rotate the blade b on its pivot d, the blade will tend to rock the locking lever f on its pivot 11, and this effect will take place in any position of the blade b in which any one of the flatsides of the heel lies in contact with the lever f. It follows from the foregoing that, if the locking lever f be held against or restrained from pivotal movement, the blade I) will be held or locked in any position in which one of the flat sides of the heel is engaged by the locking lever. In a blade of the conformation shown this would give three positions in which the blade could be locked, to wit: open, closed and half open. In ordinary prac tice it is requisite that the blade should be capable of being locked at the fully open and at the closed positions. This condition is illustrated at Fig. l by therespective blades b and c.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the locking levers have their pivots located as near the heels of the blades as is permissible and still allow the lock ing levers to swing out of the way of the blades to permit opening or closing of the blades when the locking levers are not held against movement. The object of thus locating these pivots will appear presently. The free ends of the locking levers come into juxtaposition with eaeh other at about midway of the length of the handle a as shown.

The means provided for normally holding the locking levers against pivotal or rocking movement comprise an L-shaped manually operatable cam-lever j. The locking levers are engageable with the heels of ,the blades and in turn the cam-lever is engageable.

with the locking levers and constitutes blade-locking means. This cam-lever is pivoted on a pivot-pin is located about midway of the length of the handle a and laterally near to the other side of the handle from the pivots h and i of the locking levers. The pivot j is thus substantially perpendicularly opposite to the opposed ends of the locking levers fand i. The cam lever is adapted to swing inward with its longer arm alongside of the blade 0 and substantially parallel to the handle a as seen in Fig. l, and to swing outward with its longer arm substantially perpendicularto the,

handle a, as seen in Fig. 2. When the cam-lever is swung inward or closed, its shorter 'arm or foot engages with the juxtaposed ends of the locking levers, as in Fig. 1, and holds these levers with their other ends in firmly pressed contactwith the heels of the blades, respectively. i

To obviate liability of unintentional or accidental displacement of the blade-locking cam-lever j from its closed or locking position, its shorter arm or foot portion is preferably of slightly flattened contour' at the point of contact with the locking levers when in locked position. This flattened contour is shown as comprising a plane face Z for seating against the locking levers in their locking positions. The plane locking face is shown as extending for a short distance on both sides of a perpendicular to such face passing through the axis of the pivot j. The locking levers f and g are resilient and adapted to yield slightly to the pressure of the cam-lever j. Such resiliency or spring effect may be best noted in the locking lever g in Fig. 2. This resiliency cooperates with the flattened locking face of the cam-lever to retain the cam-lever in locked position, as may be seen in Fig. 1. The cam-lever is retained in such position .by reason of the flattened shape of the foot of the cam-lever. Although the locking levers f and g are very slightly yieldable to the cam-lever, as described, yet such locking levers are substantially unyieldable to the blades b and c, owing to the fact that the pivots 72 and i are located so near to the heels of the blades. The arms of-the locking levers which engage with the blades are shorter than the arms which are engaged by the cam-lever. Thus when the earn-lever is closed or swung inward the blades will be firmly locked in closed or open positions, according to whichever positions they may at the time occupy, as seen in Fig. l; and when the cam-lever is opened or swung outward the blades will be releasedand may be moved to any desired positions, as seen in Fig. 2. In the open position of any blade the end of the shorter arm of the corresponding locking lever cooperates with the notch shown in the heel of the blade at the back of the blade and constitutes a strong back support for the blade, as seen at blade I), Fig. 1.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 a handle m has blades or and o pivoted at the opposite ends thereof on respective pivots p and q, in the same manner as in the construction. just described. The blades are shown as locked in open positions by locking levers r and s pivoted on respective pivot-pins t and u. The locking levers are shown as held in looking positions by a camlever r rockable upon a pivot to and having a curved locking face In this construction the locking levers r and s are substantially unyieldable throughout their lengths, such stiffness being indicated in the drawing by their comparatively great thickness. The shape of the locking face a: of the cam-lever 7) is such that the cam-lever is retained in closed position by friction with the locking levers, the locking face rc being, as shown, substantially concentric with the pivot 10 of the camlever and engageable with corresponding coiiperating curved faces at the ends of the locking levers. In other respects than as above noted the construction and operation are the same as hereinbefore described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention. I

I claim:

1. A knife comprising a handle, ablade pivoted in the handle, a substantially unyielding locking lever pivoted in the handle and arranged to engage and lock the blade when secured in locking position and to be movedaway from said position by movement of the balde when not so secured, and means for securing the locking lever in locking position, said means being movable manually to release the locking lever and the blade.

2. A knife comprising a handle, a blade pivoted in the handle, a substantially unyielding locking lever pivoted in the handle and having a short arm arranged to engage and lock the blade and a longer arm, and means for engaging the longer arm to securethe locking lever in locking position, said means being movable manually to release the locking lever and the blade.

3. A knife comprising a handle, a blade pivoted in the handle, a locking lever engageable at one of its ends by the blade and adapted to be moved on its fulcrum by such engagement with the blade, and a cam-lever engageable with the other end of the locking lever to lock the locking lever against such movement, the locking lever being slightly yieldable to the cam-lever and substantially unyieldable to the blade, the cam-lever being adapted to be retained at the locking position by the resiliency of the locking lever.

4. A knife comprising a handle, a blade having a heel portion pivoted in the handle, a blade-locking lever pivoted in the handle, the locking lever having a shorter arm and a longer arm, the shorter arm being engageable with the heel of the blade to lock the blade against pivotal move ment, and a camlever engageable with the longer arm of the locking lever to lock the locking lever aginst pivotal movement.

5. A knife comprising a handle, a blade having a heel portion pivoted in the handle, a blade-locking lever pivoted in the handle, the locking lever having a shorter arm and a longer resilient arm, the 'shorter arm being engageable with the heel of the blade to lock the blade against pivotal movement, and a camlever engageable with the longer arm of the locking lever to lock the locking lever against pivotal movement, the cam-lever being adapted to be retained at the locking position by the resiliency of the locking lever.

(l. A knife comprising a handle, blades pivoted respectively at opposite ends of the handle, levers respectively engageable by the blades to be moved on their respective fulcrums by such engagement, and a single manually operable device engageable with the levers for locking the levers against movement, whereby the blades are locked against pivotal movement relatively to the handle.

I T. A knife comprising a handle, a blade pivoted at one end of the handle, a blade pivoted at the other end of the handle, a lever engageable by the first-named blade and adapted to be moved on its fulcrum thereby, another lever engageable .by the last-named blade and adapted to be moved on its fulcrum thereby, and a device in common for locking the two first-named levers against pivotal movement, whereby the blades will be locked against pivotal movement relatively to the handle.

8. A knife comprising a handle, a blade pivoted at one end of the handle, a blade pivoted at the other end of the handle, a lever engageable by the firstnamed blade and adapted to be moved on its fulcrum thereby, another lever engageable by the last-named blade and adapted to be moved on its fulcrum thereby, and a camlever in common for locking the two first-named levers against pivotal movement, whereby the blades will be locked against pivotal movement relatively to the handle.

9. A knife comprising a handle, a blade pivoted at one end of the handle, a blade-locking lever pivoted in the handle and having an arm engageable with the heel of the blade, a blade pivoted at the other end of the handle, another blade-locking lever having an arm engageable with the heel of the last-named blade, the blade-locking levers having other arms extending in juxtaposition to each other, and a cam-lever engage-able with the juxtaposed ends of the blade-locking levers to lock such levers against pivotal movement, whereby the blades'are locked against pivotal movement relatively to the handle.

10. In a knife, the combination of a handle, a blade pivoted to the handle and provided with a squared heel, a locking lever pivoted between the sides of the handle at a point close to the heel of the blade and having a'sliort arm engaging the squared part of the heel and a long arm extending in the opposite direction, and a cam lever pivoted between the sides of the handle and having a cam arm engaging the long arm of the locking lever and a manuallyoperable arm extending at an angle thereto so as to lie longitudinally of the handle when the blade is locked.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. GRISWOLD.

Witnesses HEN'RY D. \VILLIAMS, WM. AsrrLnr KELLY. 

